Every teacher knows classroom learning begins with the relationship between a teacher and their students. A good teacher listens to their students. Cares about them. Makes them realize they belong. That they matter. That they can do something worthwhile.
Jeromie Whalen is a teacher. He knows all of this. And he’s brought it with him to the campaign trail.
If you don’t know him, he wants to meet you. If you don’t support him, he still wants to talk to you. Jeromie doesn’t stop reaching out and trying to connect. Is your vote important to him? Of course, but he’s at least as interested in building a relationship with you. With every door knocked, every handshake, every lawn sign, Jeromie’s bringing the ethic of his classroom, not just to the 1st Congressional District race, but to Massachusetts politics.
Once upon a time, candidates tended to wait their turn. There have always been insurgents, but there was a well-established process, a way things were done. When I first met Jeromie, I thought he should get more experience and get in line. A run for Congress is a difficult, vertical leap for a political neophyte.
But times are changing, and Democrats are beginning to change as well.
Over the last few decades, too many Democrats believed that everyday people were unsuitable for public office. Poll-tested, establishment-approved candidates with plenty of institutional and financial backing were all we took seriously.
These assumptions aren’t just being criticized. They are being challenged.
From Florida to Michigan to New York City, we’re seeing a new generation of candidates entering politics. They’re making national news by running their campaigns through personal connections with people. Their progressive agenda is part of their success, but their means are as important as their end goals.
We boomers tend to think of “organizing” as another word for “protest,” but for this new generation of candidates, “organizing” means good, old-fashioned campaigning, something the Democratic Party lost over the years. Our hope and our country’s future depend on bringing people back into the democratic process, giving voice to their concerns and dreams.
Jeromie Whalen has what it takes to represent us in Washington, D.C. He’s intelligent and informed. And he has a clear vision for what the 1st Congressional District should be. (See his website for policy particulars).
Transformative politics starts with people. Jeromie doesn’t just know that. He’s living it.
And that is the lesson this high school teacher has to teach the Massachusetts’ 1st Congressional District and why I enthusiastically endorse him for Congress.
Mark L. Bail is a Granby selectman and a long-time community and Democratic activist. He taught high school for 32 years.